![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.planhub.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/crtc-phone-tv-1024x747.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe CRTC\u2019s New Rule<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The CRTC\u2019s prohibition took effect on June 12, 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It prevents mobile and Internet providers from charging fees related to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 activating a new service plan
\u2022 modifying an existing plan
\u2022 cancelling a plan when no subsidized device is involved<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The regulator allows limited exceptions for physical installations and for additional products or services that customers explicitly choose to purchase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, a customer can still voluntarily pay for professional Internet installation or an additional piece of equipment that is not necessary to receive the underlying service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The dispute now centres on whether phones, SIM cards, fulfillment and setup assistance qualify as genuinely additional products and services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bell\u2019s $40 Device Handling Charge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Bell replaced its previous connection charge with a $40 Device Handling Charge applied when customers order a phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bell says the charge covers fulfillment costs associated with processing and delivering the device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The company argues that buying a phone from Bell is optional because customers can instead bring their own compatible device. From Bell\u2019s perspective, the charge is related to a separate retail purchase rather than activation of the wireless plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The CRTC disagrees with that interpretation, at least preliminarily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a letter sent to Bell, the regulator said a phone is required to receive wireless service and that a mandatory fee connected to providing the phone may therefore be considered a prohibited activation fee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bell responded that the charge complies with the Telecommunications Act and the Wireless Code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The CRTC has now asked Bell to confirm by June 17 whether it has stopped charging the fee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TELUS\u2019 $15 SIM Fee<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
TELUS introduced a mandatory $15 SIM purchase fee shortly before the activation-fee prohibition took effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The charge reportedly applies to both physical SIM cards and digital eSIMs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This may be the most difficult of the three fees to defend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unlike a new smartphone, a SIM or eSIM is directly required to connect most customers to the wireless network. Customers activating through eSIM are also not receiving a physical product that carries manufacturing, shipping or inventory costs comparable to a conventional SIM card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The CRTC told TELUS that the SIM charge does not appear to qualify as an optional product or service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TELUS must confirm that it has stopped charging the fee or submit a detailed explanation of why it believes the practice complies with the new rules by June 17.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That has not yet been finally decided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The CRTC has issued formal requests for information to Bell and TELUS, but it has not published a final compliance ruling or announced penalties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As of June 16, the regulator had also not publicly issued Rogers a letter concerning the new Device Setup Charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fact that a fee appeared immediately after the ban does not automatically make it illegal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The real legal test will likely involve several questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Is the service truly optional The Rogers model may be easier to defend than TELUS\u2019 SIM fee because customers can avoid it by purchasing online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, forcing customers to use a digital self-service channel to avoid a charge could still raise accessibility and consumer-protection concerns, particularly for seniors, people with disabilities and customers who need assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Customers purchasing a device from Rogers or Fido should complete the transaction online when possible to avoid the $40 charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another option is to purchase the phone directly from Apple, Google, Samsung or another retailer and bring it to the carrier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Customers should also examine the final checkout page and service agreement before confirming an order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The monthly promotional device price may look attractive, but the complete cost can include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 device setup or handling charges Anyone charged a fee they believe violates the new rules should first dispute it with the provider and keep screenshots, receipts and copies of the offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is tempting to describe every new charge as a renamed activation fee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That conclusion has not yet been legally established.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bell, Rogers and TELUS are attempting to distinguish these charges from activation by connecting them to devices, fulfillment, setup services or SIM products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The CRTC must now determine whether those distinctions reflect genuine optional services or whether they preserve the same barrier to switching under different labels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The June 17 responses from Bell and TELUS could provide the first indication of how aggressively the regulator intends to enforce the new prohibition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Rogers and Fido have introduced a new $40 Device Setup Charge only days after Canada\u2019s ban on wireless activation and plan-change fees came into effect. The charge applies when customers purchase or upgrade a phone with assistance from a specialist, including transactions completed in a store, over the phone or through live chat. Customers who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":28400,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[823,829,487,822,828,816],"tags":[211,583],"class_list":["post-28404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mobile-articles","category-telecom-articles","category-mobile","category-mobile-news","category-telecom-news","category-telecom","tag-activation-fee","tag-crtc-3"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.planhub.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/crtc-news-1-1024x768.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIs This Legal?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Can customers decline the service without changing how they purchase the phone
\u2022 Is the charge tied to activating or modifying a wireless plan
\u2022 Does the provider face a genuine direct cost
\u2022 Is the phone, SIM or setup service necessary to receive wireless service
\u2022 Is the customer explicitly agreeing to buy something additional<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat Consumers Can Do<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 shipping costs
\u2022 deferred phone-return balances
\u2022 trade-in requirements
\u2022 mandatory premium plans
\u2022 taxes calculated on the phone\u2019s full price<\/p>\n\n\n\nImportant Caveat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n